


Put a Sprain on Me

by SamCyberCat



Category: Free!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Nurse Makoto, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-20
Updated: 2017-10-20
Packaged: 2019-01-20 09:21:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,056
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12429786
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SamCyberCat/pseuds/SamCyberCat
Summary: Just before the start of the regional basketball season, Kisumi finds himself with a sprained wrist. When a far too attractive nurse tells him to rest it, Kisumi ignores the advice, because he isn't going to cost his team their star player by sitting out. He just doesn't count on Nurse Tachibana being as stubborn as he is when it comes to getting Kisumi to follow his advice.





	Put a Sprain on Me

**Author's Note:**

> AU where Makoto is a nurse taking care of Kisumi. Originally written for a fic exchange event, but the person it was for sadly had to drop out, so now I'm posting this as it's own thing. Because more KisuMako fic for any reason at all is always a good reason.

Kisumi flexed his hand as he sat in the waiting room, trying not to think about how much time he'd already lost by being here. It wasn't as if it was that big of a deal. Wrist injuries came with the territory when you played basketball and this was far from the most severe sprain that Kisumi had ever had. There was no actual need to come to hospital. Heck, he'd already bandaged up the hand himself. He didn't need a nurse's help with that.

But one of his teammates had been insistent. More so than he should have been. The start of the regional season matches were right around the corner and Kisumi needed to be at his best for that. His teammate had argued that was why he should get this checked. Which was funny, because that was the same reason that Kisumi had wanted not to get it checked, because all the faff at the hospital wasted so much time that he could be putting to better use by training.

Yet Kisumi wasn't an argumentative person, so he agreed to come here to placate his worried teammate. The downside was that walk-in appointments were busy today, so Kisumi had been sat around for ages.

Eventually he was called in to see a nurse, so he raised himself out of the chair and headed through without high expectations. He was greeted by a man who, in all honesty, exceeded every expectation that Kisumi had ever had about anything in his life. It took all of Kisumi's willpower not to stand there with his mouth open and gawp at the poor guy. He was stunning! His green eyes were warm and friendly, his brown hair was tousled in a way that almost looked artful, his arms had the faintest trace of being toned and his smile... his smile was the most radiant that Kisumi had ever seen. This person was clearly designed to look as if he could take care of you and possibly even be glad to do so. Just... wow.

“Kisumi Shigino, I take it?” the nurse asked, “It's nice to meet you. I'm Makoto Tachibana and I'll be taking a look at your wrist today.”

“J-just Kisumi will be fine...” Kisumi managed, “And, um, yeah... thanks. You must be new here, huh?” Because Kisumi would have remembered seeing this guy before.

“Ah, yes! I am,” Makoto chuckled. Even his laugh sounded amazing; “I've just started here for my placement. According to my notes, this isn't the first time you've been in here with wrist injuries, so I'm not surprised you're familiar with the staff.”

“It isn't as bad as it sounds,” said Kisumi, “I'm a basketball player and we're training for a new season. Guess I've just been getting a little reckless.”

“In that case, you might want to hold back for a while. Wouldn't want to see you do yourself any further injuries. Now could you hold out your hand so I can take a look?” Makoto asked.

With anyone else, Kisumi might have said that he'd already bandaged it up, so it'll probably be fine, but with Makoto, Kisumi held his hand out right away. He didn't even object when Makoto unwrapped the bandages and flexed Kisumi's hand, going through the usual checks. Each time Kisumi flinched, he could tell that Makoto had noticed. Behind those kind eyes seemed to be a person who didn't miss a thing.

After several minutes of checking, Makoto started to dress Kisumi's hand again, seemingly satisfied.

“Since you're familiar with all of this, I won't bore you by telling you what you already know. The sprain isn't that serious right now, but it'll get serious if you continue to put pressure on it,” said Makoto, “I'd recommend at least a few weeks rest before you go back on the basketball court.”

Kisumi tutted; “And with our first match coming up next week. It's just typical, isn't it?”

“That's just life, I'm afraid,” Makoto dismissed, “I understand the temptation, but I'm sure your teammates would rather have you recovered than put undo pressure on you.”

“Not bragging, but I'm kind of their star player,” replied Kisumi, who was actually bragging a tiny bit, “They need me.”

“Then they'll need you to get better,” Makoto insisted, “I know it's frustrating and I can tell that you're passionate about this, but that's just how it is. Do you... play professionally?”

“What? Nooo! Nothing of the sort. We're just a local town team. But I've been part of it for so long now and it feels important to me,” said Kisumi.

“In that case, I know you'll do the right thing,” Makoto said.

Kisumi nodded in agreement. He could count on that.

***

The next week saw Kisumi kitted up and ready to go out for their first match of the season. He'd assured his teammates that the sprain wasn't a big deal and that he'd just need to take it easy for a while, but that he'd be fine to play. It felt wrong going against what Nurse Tachibana had recommended, but Kisumi had been dealing with wrist injuries for so many years that he figured he could make a decent judgement on it. He'd be fine. Just as long as he took it easy and didn't push himself too much.

Their first match was against a team who didn't have a great reputation anyway. Kisumi was sure that his team would be able to take them down, even if he wasn't at his best, but he'd rather be there to see this through just in case anything did go wrong.

He hung back during the first quarter, which surprised even the announcer, who commented on as much over the speakers. Kisumi had to drown it out. He wasn't letting his team down by avoiding taking centre stage, he was just giving the others a chance to shine. He'd be letting his team down if he wasn't here at all.

The first quarter felt far longer than it actually was though. Every time the ball came into Kisumi's possession he felt a slight twinge of pain and Nurse Tachibana's face popped into his mind. But he blocked it out until the whistle was blown and both teams headed off for a quick break. Kisumi downed his bottle of water, nodding along as his teammates patted him on the back. He had to act as if everything was fine. There was still much of the match to go and it wouldn't do to make them worried.

But before he could head back out onto the court, he heard a voice calling out to him from the sidelines.

“Kisumi! Hey there, Kisumi!”

He turned to see... oh god, it was Nurse Tachibana. In casual clothing. Which made him look even more attractive than the uniform that Kisumi had seen him in last week. The guy clearly knew how to dress himself well. Damn him.

Kisumi headed over, already feeling ashamed of himself despite Makoto's kind smile. Heck, probably even because of it.

“Hiii... Nurse Tachibana. Didn't expect to see you here...” Kisumi muttered.

“And I hoped that I wouldn't see you here either, but I had a feeling that you wouldn't take my advice, so I came along anyway. And please, just call me Makoto away from the ward,” Makoto replied.

“Okay Makoto... um, I know this looks bad, but... I need to do this. I'm taking it easy, but if I'm not here when they need me, then I just wouldn't forgive myself,” said Kisumi, “You have to understand, right?”

Makoto shook his head; “Look, Kisumi, I can't stop you from doing this, but I'd severely advise against it. Surely your team can substitute you for the rest of the match.”

“Our subs just aren't read-”

“Is everything okay over here? We're going back out as soon as you're done, Shigino.”

It was Hibiki, the same teammate who'd argued for Kisumi to go get himself checked over last week. He was a stubborn guy at the best of times, so Kisumi didn't want to put any ideas into his head about needing to be taken off.

“Everything's fine,” Kisumi lied, “I was just catching up with, ah... Makoto here.”

Hibiki glared up at Makoto; “You his latest boyfriend or something?”

“No, I'm his nurse,” Makoto answered, “And I was just advising Kisumi to sit the rest of the game out. His injury hasn't had time to heal.”

“I knew it!” Hibiki gasped, “I knew you were faking to not worry anyone, Shigino!”

“It's not as bad as he's making out, I swear...” muttered Kisumi. But there was guilt written all over his face. He knew that his time in this match was done.

“You're going to sit this out,” Hibiki told him, “I'm updating the captain on your situation now.”

With that, Hibiki jogged away to talk to their team captain. Kisumi watched him go, frowning and hoping that Hibiki's worrying wouldn't cost them the match.

“That snitch...” Kisumi grumbled.

“He's only looking out for you,” Makoto reasoned.

“I meant you as much as him,” snapped Kisumi.

Then he stormed off to sit on the bench, not daring to look back at Makoto. He instantly felt bad for talking to Makoto like that, especially since it seemed as if he'd come all the way out here during his free time for the sake of Kisumi's well-being, but he was just so frustrated. If Sano got knocked out of the first round due to him not being on the court, then this would be all Makoto's fault.

When the captain came over to tell Kisumi what he already knew, that he should sit this one out, Kisumi couldn't even bring himself to reply. He just nodded and stared out onto the court, where he'd watch the match carry on without him.

***

They got through by the skin of their teeth, but at least they made it. Hopefully by the time the next match came around Kisumi would have recovered. Or at the very least, they'd be playing somewhere that was far enough out of Makoto's way that he wouldn't go there to babysit Kisumi.

Once the match was over, Kisumi didn't feel up to celebrating with the others. Which was unusual for him, as Kisumi generally loved a good party, but it didn't feel right enjoying the victory with them when he'd barely taken part in the match. At least he could put his lack of enthusiasm down to his injury and that was a good enough excuse for the others. They waved goodbye to him, wishing him the best of luck in his recovery.

Kisumi intended to head back to the station and catch a train to Sano, but he was stopped before he could get more than a block away from the stadium. By exactly the person who'd put him in such a sour mood in the first place.

“I suppose it wouldn't win me any favours by congratulating you on your team's win?” Makoto said, as he walked over to Kisumi, looking as infuriatingly pleasant as always.

“This town isn't known for it's basketball, so we got lucky with being put against them,” Kisumi answered.

“Aww come on, that's not very nice,” said Makoto, “Iwatobi might not be the best at basketball, but we excel in other sports, I can promise you.”

“So you're from around here?” Kisumi asked.

“Yep! Born and raised,” replied Makoto, “Look, Kisumi, I know that if I harp on about how what happened was for the best that it'll only put you in an even worse mood, so maybe I can try to make it up to you instead. There's a great cafe nearby that opens in the evenings. Why don't I treat you to a drink?”

Okay, so maybe Makoto was an interfering busybody who might cost Kisumi's team their place in the regionals if he keeps this up, but he was still the most attractive guy that Kisumi had ever seen. And Kisumi hadn't been brought up to let an opportunity like that pass by.

“You know what? That does sound like something I could get behind,” he said, finally cracking a smile, “All right, you got yourself a date for the evening, Makoto.”

There was that cheerful laugh from Makoto again. It sounded as if a chorus of angels had blessed this guy with the perfect voice. Though perhaps Kisumi was just heavily biased.

“Aren't I the lucky one?” Makoto replied, “Come on then, it's not far.”

The two of them headed off together towards the cafe, which turned out to be just as nice as Makoto had said it would be. The chef seemed to be a friend of Makoto's and even if he came across as a bit grumpy to Kisumi, he still saw to it that the two of them had a good supper.

“That's Haru for you,” Makoto said, as he took another bite of his green matcha cake, “He's been my closest friend since I was almost too young to remember. When I said I was going to a basketball match, he thought it was a little traitorous, but he understood my reasons.”

“Why would it be traitorous?” Kisumi asked.

“We were both on the same swim team in high school. Swimming is Haru's life, even if he didn't want to pursue it professionally. He could have done though...” said Makoto, staring off towards the kitchen.

“Yeah, but for some people it's purely about the love of the game. Or whatever you call it in swimming instead of a game,” Kisumi replied, “I'm not interested in going pro either, I just like the thrill of being there and helping my team do the best they can.”

“Your heart's in the right place, even if you are stubborn. You and Haru have that in common,” said Makoto, “So when's your next match? I need to know so I can pick up the tickets and make sure you behave yourself.”

“In that case I'm not telling you,” Kisumi replied, with a smile.

“Hmm... maybe I'm adopting the wrong approach in this,” said Makoto, “I'll tell you what, how about you don't tell me when the match is and I'll just look it up online anyway? And if I don't see you out on the court that day, then we can go out for another evening together? If I do see you out there, well, there'll be no date and I'll be able to tell you that I told you so when you're dragged into A&E.”

“That sounds a lot like blackmail,” mused Kisumi.

“Only if you're interested in dating me,” Makoto pointed out.

Two could play at that game. Kisumi pushed his chair back and got to his feet, giving Makoto a polite smile which could rival even the polite smiles that Makoto seemed to have mastered.

“In that case, I guess you'll find out when you get there, won't you?” he said.

“A difficult one, huh?” Makoto hummed, “You know, I think I like you a lot, Kisumi Shigino.”

The worst part was that Kisumi knew the feeling was mutual.

***

It was a conflict of Kisumi's two greatest interests – basketball and beautiful men. On one hand, he felt in himself that the right thing to do was to play the match. Of course it was. His team had been able to rely on him for so many years and to let them down for such a reason would be shallow. But on the other hand, it probably wouldn't hurt his wrist to take a break, just so long as he kept up his flexing exercises so that it didn't get stiff. The date with Makoto wasn't something that Kisumi was going to overlook either.

So with a heavy heart, Kisumi explained to his team's captain that he was going to sit the next match out to help his wrist recover. It didn't come as a surprise to the captain after the last match, but Kisumi could tell that he was disappointed, even if he acted like he wasn't. Kisumi had played through wrist injuries before. Maybe his team were wondering why he wouldn't do it again this time.

Though despite not being part of the match, Kisumi supported the others as best he could. He turned up to watch at every practise session and of course on the day of their next game, he was there. Not in his kit this time though, since he wasn't even being a sub right now. Kisumi had dressed smart-casual. Maybe a little more smart than casual. There was a chance that Kisumi had spent a long time in front of the mirror before he'd came out, hoping that he looked good for if he did bump into Makoto. Also hoping that he didn't look like he was trying too hard...

The stadium was already packed by the time he got there. It was a small venue and it was hard to get moved. Kisumi couldn't see Makoto anywhere in the crowd, but somehow he doubted that Makoto would have been bluffing about coming. So Kisumi wandered around the edges for a while. It was standing room only at this point, so it wasn't as if he had to worry about keeping a seat.

Eventually he wandered over to the hot food stand and that was where he found Makoto, standing with a burger in one hand and a large soda in the other. When he bit into the burger, onions spilled out the back of it and Makoto failed to catch them before they hit the ground. Then Makoto looked around, hoping that no one had noticed. The sight was almost too adorable to bear.

“That doesn't look like a healthy meal,” Kisumi teased, sidling up beside him.

“Even nurses need a break sometimes,” replied Makoto, though his sheepish expression made it clear that he'd been caught in the act, “Got to know when to treat yourself.”

“Ain't that the truth?” said Kisumi.

“Anyway, I'm glad to see you here and not out there,” Makoto went on.

“Well, you gave me an offer I couldn't refuse,” Kisumi said, “And you're probably right about my wrist needing more rest.”

“I am right, there's no probably about it,” assured Makoto, “But anyway, looks like I owe you a date, as promised. You haven't caught me at my best tonight, but I've got the perfect time and place, if you're interested.”

“Oh, I'm listening...” Kisumi purred.

Makoto leaned forward, oblivious to the fact that there was a speck of mustard on his cheek. And Kisumi was too mesmerised by Makoto to pay much attention to it either.

“The next match of the season. I've already got two tickets,” said Makoto.

“Damn, you really have caught me out,” Kisumi tutted. That'd be too matches he'd sit out of because he'd been tricked by this guy; “And what would you have done with the other ticket if I had been out there tonight?”

“Probably would've asked Haru if he wanted to come, though I can already guess his answer,” said Makoto, “But I'd have found someone. I don't generally struggle to find company.”

Kisumi reached a finger up, wiping the mustard off Makoto's cheek. Maybe he was imagining it, but it seemed as if Makoto's ears coloured slightly at the contact.

“I can believe that,” Kisumi replied.

***

If Kisumi had felt guilty about explaining to his captain that he was sitting out the first match, then it was nothing compared to how he felt the second time. Because his choice had a lot more to do with Makoto than it did to do with his wrist.

The captain had a harder time hiding his irritation now. He said that it was good Kisumi was taking a lot of time to recover, with the emphasis on the 'a lot', and that he'd expect to see Kisumi back on top form in time for the fourth match of the season. Kisumi could only agree with him. As he left, Kisumi tried flexing his wrist a few more times on impulse. It did seem as if it was starting to recover. Maybe it wouldn't hurt to get some practise sessions in... The others would be glad to see him taking part again.

When Kisumi met up with Makoto for the next match, it was a little further afield than either of the first two. He'd offered to pay Makoto's travel expenses, but Makoto had insisted that he'd pay on his own, since he'd been the one who'd asked Kisumi to come with him.

“At least we've got good seats this time,” Makoto said, as the two of them shuffled through the crowd and found a couple of seats together, not far from the front row.

“I learned my lesson from last time about turning up early,” replied Kisumi, “It'd been so long since I'd watched a match instead of playing one that I'd forgotten how busy they can get.”

“So do you like watching as much as playing?” Makoto asked, as he took his seat. He had a hot dog instead of a burger this time. Kisumi had bought it for him and Makoto's eyes had lit up when Kisumi gave it to him. It was good to know that this guy had some weaknesses.

“There's few things I like as much as playing,” said Kisumi, “But there are some benefits to watching as well. Seeing my team's form in an actual match is much different to in practise. They're all improving so much. And they're going to need to for tonight...”

“Tough competition?” Makoto checked.

“You got it,” Kisumi said, “These guys were knocked out by Samezuka last year, so we didn't go up against them in the end, but it was a close match from what I've heard. They aren't going to want to go down easily this year and if they can get rid of us, then they have a better shot at the title.”

“I'm sure they won't win against Sano, from everything you've said about your team,” Makoto replied.

Kisumi wished that he could share Makoto's confidence, but in truth, he was worried. The big difference was that tonight's rivals had all of their best players with them and Kisumi's team was down him. They certainly had improved, but had it been enough...?

He watched the match on the edge of his seat. It was close, so close... A few times the other team pushed ahead, but Sano just managed to snatch it back at the last moment, with Hibiki scoring them the points that made the game.

Kisumi sat back in his chair and gave a sigh of relief.

“They did it...” he whispered.

“See? It wasn't that bad,” said Makoto, “You just have to have a bit of faith in them. I'm sure they'll do fine in the next match as well. Who are they up against?”

Kisumi turned his head to look at Makoto.

“...Samezuka.”

“Oh.”

And 'oh' was definitely right. Samezuka just dominated every sport they took part in, with basketball being no exception. Kisumi hated to say it, but he didn't think that his team would win that match without him. He needed to be back out there. Perhaps that was obvious from his face, because Makoto showed him an act of mercy from his assault of killing him with kindness.

“Hey, so... why don't you come back to my place?” Makoto said, “It's... ah, not like it sounds. I just mean that I could check over your wrist and see what kind of shape it's in. Since you've been resting it for a while now. Of course you could always just come into hospital tomorrow, but then you'd have to wait until I'm ready to see you. Whereas I'm free now, so...?”

Kisumi nodded; “That sounds good to me. Thanks, Makoto.”

He didn't point out that Makoto could just check his wrist here, because Kisumi wasn't an idiot. Makoto was nervous about asking Kisumi to come back with him. Maybe Makoto was kind of using the wrist thing as an excuse, but Kisumi wasn't going to complain about that. He did genuinely want to get to know Makoto better. And as well as that, he needed to know if he'd gotten the all clear about his wrist so he could get back to supporting his team.

The one downside was that Kisumi knew in himself that he hadn't been resting it properly. He'd felt so guilty about sitting out of another match that he'd joined in with every training session his team had and he'd pushed himself to the limit to demonstrate to them that he was still dedicated.

He couldn't tell Makoto that, but as they sat in the living room of Makoto's apartment, with Makoto flexing Kisumi's wrist (and that Haru guy watching from another chair, since apparently those two lived together), he could tell that Makoto already knew.

“I wish I had better news for you...” said Makoto. He looked across sadly as Kisumi flinched at yet another movement.

“It's okay. I already know,” Kisumi admitted.

“Kisumi, I understand why you're doing what you're doing, but you're not helping yourself or your team with this,” Makoto said, “You need to stop feeling like you're letting them down.”

“But it's not just them I'll let down if I don't play the next match,” Kisumi replied.

Makoto sighed; “Well, if you do go through with it, then you're letting me down.”

It was a cruel card to play, but Kisumi knew that Makoto used it with the best intentions. He nodded, wishing he could say that he wasn't going to let Makoto down. But that wasn't a promise he could make this time. They only played one match a season in their home town and there was someone important who would be there to see Kisumi play. Someone who he didn't want to let down even more than Makoto...

“Anyway, it's getting late and I know we're both tired,” said Makoto, as he got to his feet, “Hope you don't mind sharing a room with me, Kisumi. And Haru, I'll... uh, see you in the morning.”

“Don't worry, I don't mind at all,” Kisumi said, feeling his throat get suddenly dry and his face heat up, “G-goodnight, Haru...”

“Goodnight,” Haru calmly replied to them both.

As they left the living room, Kisumi could feel Haru's gaze on the back of his neck.

***

When Kisumi approached the captain, he could already feel him bracing himself for more bad news. The captain's face was steelier than usual – he'd lost any sympathy that he might've had for Kisumi's injury.

“Should I call Samezuka and tell them that they've won now then?” the captain goaded.

Kisumi shook his head; “No, that won't be necessary. I'm going to play.”

The captain's face changed immediately. It brightened up and he slapped Kisumi on the back, which caused everyone else to look over at them.

“Looks like our star player's gotten over his hand troubles, lads!” called the captain.

That announcement was met with general approval from the others. Except for Hibiki, who glared at Kisumi with a critical eye. Kisumi hoped that he could avoid him, but sure enough, once the practise session was in full swing, Hibiki made an excuse to come over.

“You're not better, are you?” Hibiki asked.

“Come on, Hibiki, it's been weeks now. Sprains don't last forever,” Kisumi dismissed.

“But you haven't been resting it properly. You'd think that your nurse buddy would help with that, but I guess not,” said Hibiki.

“This has nothing to do with Makoto,” Kisumi argued. But then he lowered his voice and added, “...It's Hayato. You know that he comes to the home games every year. I don't get to see him as much now that... well, now that I've left home and he looks forward to this so much. I want to show him my best.”

Hibiki looked doubtful, but even he had to admit defeat.

“Ugh... well, I guess it has been a while and you have been doing okay in practise. Just don't push yourself, Shigino,” said Hibiki.

“Trust me, you aren't the first person to say that,” Kisumi replied.

***

Samezuka's team looked as terrifying as usual. They were all built like walls and somehow managed to be as fast as they were bulky. Their bonds with each other were tight as well, so they'd be able to make passes by reading the slightest body language from each other. The same could normally be said for the Sano team, but Kisumi didn't feel all that in sync with his teammates this season, given how all over the place his involvement had been.

Kisumi had been avoiding Makoto as well, but he had several missed calls from him on the night of the match. With a heavy heart, Kisumi switched his phone off. Perhaps Makoto would turn up and he'd be disappointed... But after this match, Kisumi would take a break. He just needed to do this for Hayato. His wrist could hold out for one more day, surely.

As he walked out onto the court, he saw that Hayato's class had been given front row seats. It was a school trip, so Kisumi's parents weren't there, but they wouldn't have been anyway. As long as Hayato was there, that was what mattered. He looked through the row of students until he saw Hayato, staring out at him with wide, awe-filled eyes. Hayato admired his older brother so much. Kisumi gave him a big wave, ignoring that even this made his wrist click painful. And Hayato, despite being generally timid, almost stood up on his seat to wave back.

That was why Kisumi had to succeed.

They all took to their places, with Kisumi at the front once more. The captain wanted to show Samezuka that they meant business by having their best player centre stage. Sano wasn't going to go down easily.

The whistle was blown and at first Kisumi felt the rush of the match take over him. He didn't need to think about anything else while he was out here. All he needed to focus on was how he could do his best to help his team win. So he filtered everything else out, flitting through their opponents like a leaf in the breeze, before striking out and stealing the ball for himself.

There were cheers from the crowd, most loudly from the students in the front row. Kisumi couldn't afford to look at Hayato now, but he knew that Hayato would be impressed with him.

Feeling elated by that, Kisumi scored the first points of the match with very little trouble. Though as his hand smacked against the hoop, the sting in his wrist felt like more than just warning pains. He gritted his teeth, but willed it away. Just one night... Just until the end of the match...

They went into the second quarter with a clear lead, which was rare when going against Samezuka. Most of that lead was down to Kisumi, who had everything to prove. During the first break, Hibiki had asked the captain to take Kisumi off, but this time, no one agreed with him. Least of all Kisumi.

His hand was throbbing badly now, but he wouldn't let that stop him. Athletes pushed themselves all the time... This was normal...

The ball got knocked out of his hand while he was busy telling himself to ignore the pain. Even Kisumi was shocked to lose it. He glanced around, dumbfounded by what had happened.

“What are you playing at, Shigino? Get after it!” the captain roared.

Kisumi didn't waste any time replying to him. Instead he pelted after the ball, forcing himself to focus only on that and not on his hand, which he was surprised hadn't swollen up to the size of a basketball itself, from how much pain his wrist was in.

He had to do it... He had to get the ball...

As he drew closer to the other man, Kisumi looked past him to see Hayato in the audience. But it wasn't just Hayato. Sat a few rows behind him were Makoto and Haru. They must have gotten here during the game. Kisumi wanted to ignore them all now so that he could impress them later, but what he saw was that... they looked worried. Even Hayato. Kisumi had come out here to show his brother his best and yet he'd made him worry.

There was no need. Kisumi would prove that he was fine for Hayato. He had to be.

So he hurried around the burly Samezuka man to cut him off, seizing the ball at the first opportunity that he got. His hand went above it as the ball bounced up off the ground and into his palm.

That was when it happened. His wrist bent back.

“Aggghhh...!”

Kisumi wanted to block out the cry, to show that nothing was wrong. But something was very wrong. His wrist hung limp now and the ball bounced away without anyone going to fetch it. Even his rival looked at him in concern.

“You okay, man?”

“I'm fine-”

“He's not fine!”

That voice rang out through all the others. Makoto had pushed his way down to the front row and now he was climbing over the barrier. No one seemed to quite know if they should stop him. The referee did come over, but Makoto halted him with a glare.

“I'm a nurse. I'm his nurse. Let me through.”

There were no arguments after that. Makoto made his way across to Kisumi and took hold of the wrist. Kisumi cried out again, but quickly shut himself up, his eyes watery from the pain. Makoto didn't stop frowning as he checked him over. The pleasant bedside manner was now nowhere to be found. Makoto was as angry as he was concerned.

“You're coming with me,” Makoto said.

“R-right...” Kisumi managed.

He looked up, across to where Hayato's class were, and he saw that... Hayato himself was trying to climb over the barrier. But he was far too small to make it. Oh god... Kisumi couldn't leave it like this...

“Can I... see him first...?” Kisumi asked.

“Who is he?” Makoto checked, suddenly looking confused.

“My brother... he came t-to see... the match...” said Kisumi, “I only see him... today...”

“I see...” Makoto mumbled. And suddenly he looked a lot more sympathetic. He nodded; “We'll go talk to him quickly. Maybe if Haru can sort it out with his teacher, he can come into hospital with you, because that's exactly where you're going.”

“Our parents are gonna be so pissed with me...” Kisumi whispered.

“I can promise you that they're not the only ones,” said Makoto.

With that, the two of them made their way over to the side of the court, where Hayato was staring fearfully up at Kisumi. Kisumi never wanted to make him worry... He'd just wanted to impress him.

“Kisumi! What happened? Are you okay?” Hayato cried.

Despite everything, Kisumi managed to give Hayato a warm smile that seemed to calm him. That had always been what it was like between the two of them. Hayato got nervous and then Kisumi settled him down. Even if this time Kisumi was the reason why Hayato was nervous.

“I'm fine...” said Kisumi, “W-well... I'm not fine. But th-this is... my nurse and he's going to take care of me, okay Hayato...?”

“Okay...” Hayato mumbled.

“Don't worry, your brother's in good hands, Hayato,” Makoto added, “If it's okay with your teacher, then you can come with us as well. My friend Haru here can take you.”

He gestured up at Haru, who was frowning in a way that most kids would probably find unapproachable, but it didn't seem to bother Hayato at all. Instead Hayato looked up at his teacher.

“Please, Miss...” he said.

“This is unorthodox,” the teacher muttered, stuck between a rock and a hard place, “But, it's... family. I know that Hayato will be safe with you, Kisumi. Though I will have to inform your parents.”

“Honestly...? They're the last thing I'm worried about right now...” said Kisumi.

So with that decided, Hayato was coming with them. It seemed as if someone had already called for an ambulance, as there were medics waiting at the side. Thankfully, Makoto was familiar with them, so they let Makoto and Haru come along as well. As Kisumi was walked away, he saw the rest of his team watching.

“You should've said how bad it was...” the captain muttered.

“I said how bad it was!” Hibiki snapped, “I told you all! Even him!”

“And I didn't listen to you...” Kisumi cut in, before the captain could make a heated response, “You're both right – I should've said how bad it was. And I never should've risked the game like this. I'm sorry...”

“Just focus on getting better,” Hibiki grumbled. With that, he stormed off.

“We'll win for you,” the captain promised.

Then with that, Kisumi was led away.

***

The whole thing had been a mess. Kisumi's wrist was broken now, so there was no chance that he could play in any more games, no matter how stubborn he was. Which came as a relief to many people, admittedly including Kisumi himself. The team had made it through their match against Samezuka as well. And as much as Kisumi had been told it was because of the early lead he'd given them, he wanted to believe that it was because his team had become stronger than Kisumi had given them credit for.

Kisumi had been discharged this morning, though he was still in the company of a nurse. Makoto insisted that Kisumi came back to his and Haru's apartment with him, so that he could keep an eye on him. Kisumi wasn't going to object to that.

“I gave that Hibiki guy my number, so if you do turn up at the basketball courts at all, he's going to call me,” Makoto said.

“Two snitches working together,” Kisumi sighed, “But don't worry. I genuinely won't be going back for a while this time. Except to watch. Hopefully that won't get me into trouble...?”

Makoto laughed; “No, that much I'll allow. Maybe I'll even join you, if you'll have me. After watching all of these matches, I feel like I'm getting more into basketball. Even Haru liked it better than he expected.”

“I did not,” Haru called through from the kitchen, where he was grilling something that smelled a bit too wiffy for Kisumi's tastes.

“If you say so,” Makoto replied, though he was nodding to Kisumi as he said it, “But anyway... I'm not going to lecture you any more than I already have done, Kisumi. I just wish that you'd told me about Hayato. I'm a big brother myself and if... if my parents stopped me from seeing the twins, then I'd probably get a bit reckless as well. But what you did still wasn't the way.”

“Yeah, you're right there...” Kisumi replied, “I doubt that what happened is going to win me any favours with my parents either, but at least they've been letting Hayato visit me. As for the future, well, who knows...?”

“There's always next basketball season?” Makoto suggested.

“Assuming that I'm at full health for that,” said Kisumi.

“Your nurse is going to make sure you are,” Makoto vowed.

That... kind of implied that Makoto still wanted to keep in contact with Kisumi, even after everything that had happened. Once Kisumi's wrist had healed, Makoto would have no reason to and Kisumi had put him through a lot already. He felt pretty guilty about that.

“You've gone out of your way so much for me,” Kisumi pointed out.

“Yeah, well... maybe that's because I like you,” replied Makoto, trying to pass it off with a nervous laugh.

Kisumi glanced across at him, trying to read Makoto's face. He could definitely read those burning red ears, that was for sure.

“Even after how stubborn I've been?” Kisumi checked.

“Is it that hard to believe that maybe I was just overwhelmed by a pretty face when you first walked in for that check-up and then after that common sense kind of took a back seat?” Makoto challenged.

“Ohhh no, you weren't the one overwhelmed by a pretty face that day,” retorted Kisumi. Both of them were smirking.

“You both think each other is pretty. It's not complicated,” Haru said, sticking his head around the door for a moment, before he went back to whatever he was cooking.

“I guess it's not...” Kisumi agreed. He noticed that Makoto was still very red, so this time, Kisumi took the initiative; “Hey, so... all this time, you've been the one asking me out. Now I want to return the favour. Do you want to go out with me, Makoto? No basketball or hospitals involved this time?”

Makoto nodded; “Kisumi, I'd go out with you, with or without either of those. Maybe without would be better for the next date though.”

“In that case, why don't we head out later, since I'm here anyway?” Kisumi asked, “I know this great little place in Sano, if you like cats.”

Upon hearing that, Makoto's eyes sparkled even brighter than they had done the time that Kisumi had bought him a hot dog.

“That sounds like something I could get behind,” Makoto replied, “Haru, you don't mind if we head out, do you?”

“I mean, you can come if you want,” added Kisumi.

“No thanks. The peace and quiet will be good,” said Haru. Then he added, “I won't wait up for you, either.”

“Y-yeah, I've got a key...” replied Makoto, “We'll keep it down when we do get back.”

“Oh, so you're already planning to bring me home, are you?” Kisumi purred.

Makoto smirked across at him. It was a dangerous expression that Kisumi hadn't seen from him up until now.

“I don't have to plan for what I know is a foregone conclusion, Kisumi Shigino,” Makoto said.

God, it gave Kisumi chills. The good kind.

“You know, for once, I'm not going to argue with you about that,” Kisumi concluded.


End file.
